We left Tula at 9PM and arrived in Grozny around 6PM the following day, having driven almost non stop except to stop for fuel.
Tired, we found our hotel and checked in. Talking to the man at reception, we were hoping to see some history from the Chechen War for Independence in 2000. However, we were told that 1) pretty much no one comes to Chechnya as tourists, and 2) everything has been rebuilt and almost of the evidence scrubbed away.
There is a huge amount of building going on in Chechnya, and in particular, Grozny, the capital. Most of the buildings are new, as they replaced the ones damaged in the war. But, if you look, there is still plenty of tradition around. You’ll still hear the calls to prayer and there are plenty of open markets.
A woman selling fruit at a market in Grozny, Chechnya.
Alex cutting a bottle so we can add oil.
After eating breakfast and exploring one of the markets, we left for the Russian-Armenian border via Dagestan. Chechnya has good roads, modern buildings, and you see plenty of expensive cars. Dagestan by comparison, is ridiculously poor.
Vova and Mike trying some traditional fur clothing at a roadside stand selling furs.
This quickly became apparent when we got to our first traffic jam in a city. Kids were walking along the rows of cars and begging for money. The buildings are cinderblock and many are falling apart. If the writing wasn't in Russian, I would think I was in a very poor part of rural Egypt or Libya.
On the way we stopped in Derbent, which has an ancient fortress. It lies at the top of a steep hill, with amazing views of the town and the Caspian Sea beyond. After exploring for about 45 minutes, we continued on to the border.